Research Essay Questions
1. How can the study of foreign involvement in OR responses to the French Revolution
enrich understanding of the events and their legacy upon Modern Europe? (feel free to
narrow your scope or use a particular kind of source to limit the inquiry)
2. How do you account for developments in Robespierre’s political career from 1789 to
his downfall and execution in 1794?
3. How have historians used records of the Congress of Vienna to explore new research
questions about politics and diplomacy in the nineteenth century? Note: While the
question invites you to engage with recent historiography, you should still make reference
to primary source material. You are also welcome to adapt the question to focus on
particular sources or issues relating to the Congress and/or its legacy.
4. What role did intellectuals play in the 1848 revolutions and/or in shaping the legacy
of the revolutions? (You may focus on intellectuals writing in direct response to the
revolutions or evaluations later in the century.)
5. How can British press sources aid our understanding of the impact and legacy of the
French Revolution across the Channel?
6. How can the historian use the first person accounts (diaries and letters) of British
traveller and agriculturalist Arthur Young to develop understanding of Revolutionary
France?
